Sundareshvara feeding sugarcane to the elephant
ca. 1800
Medium
Ink and wash on J. Whatman paper watermarked 1798
Dimensions
Sheet (folded): 16 1/8 × 10 1/16 in. (41 × 25.5 cm) Sheet: 16 1/8 × 20 1/8 in. (41 × 51.1 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture
India, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2021
Accession Number
2021.328
Art Historical Context
This delicate ink and wash painting, titled *Sundareshvara Feedingarcane to the Elephant captures a tender moment from South Indian Hindu devotion, created around 1800 in Madurai, Tamil. Sundareshvara, a of the god Shiva as the consort of the goddess Meenakshi, is depicted offering sugarcane to an elephant—a motif evoking temple rituals and divine benevolence at Madurai's famed Meenakshi Temple complex. Produced by an unidentified artist, the work reflects the vibrant Shaivite traditions of the region, where such scenes blended mythology with everyday piety. Executed on J. Whatman paper water...
About the Artist
Unidentified ( ) · –